1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a lamp for an underwater camera for lighting and photographing and filming in the macrorange.
2. Description of the Related Art
It often takes a tremendous effort to shoot high-quality pictures or films under water because of its natural turbidity due to particles and microorganisms dissolved or floating in the water. The particles dissolved or floating in the water are present at such a high density that it is very difficult to obtain shots that show true colors and are in focus even if the camera is located very close to the object to be photographed, for example, an animal at a range of up to 12 inches.
Various proposals have been made to supply clean water to the area in front of the camera to prevent the disadvantages of water turbidity and be able to shoot high-definition, true color photographs. DE 41 42 223 or DE 17 37 670, for example, describe an engineering solution based on this principle. However, underwater cameras designed like that are primarily intended for industrial photography and require considerable extra equipment. Such sophisticated and expensive cameras are not suited for skin and scuba divers that want to photograph plants and animals.
Handheld underwater lamps featuring at least one halogen lamp as a light source as described, for example, in DE 198 27 102 are frequently used for filming and photographing under water; the light is to compensate for any color distortion of the object to be photographed or filmed due to the blue cast the water has. Such underwater lamps are either rather bulky and heavy or do not have the required luminous intensity. In addition, shots taken while lighting the object with a halogen lamp are not sharply defined as the underwater lamp produces shadows and the light is reflected by the particles and, microorganisms in the water. The underwater camera housed in a casing with a window known from the above-mentioned DE 41 42 223 has two directionally adjustable lighting means attached to the sides of the housing for illuminating the object to be photographed. This underwater camera design is big, bulky, and expensive. Its power consumption is high, and the object can only be illuminated for producing sharply defined and true color shots because of complicated and costly flushing with clean water. Using the conventional underwater lamps for shooting photos and films involving animals has the disadvantage that some animals flee when the light is switched on, which makes shots in the macrorange quite difficult.